Anna (not her real name) is a former PGF client and shared her story in support of the Auckland sinking lid campaign in 2013. At the young age of 18 she became addicted to the pokies after an ex-boyfriend’s mother gave her $20 and told her to try her luck. Her story is one that may be familiar to many…

At the prime age of 18 I was an outgoing, sporty, bubbly teenager and the world was my oyster. One particular day after netball, I was given $20.00 by an ex-boyfriend’s mum and was told to go try my luck on the pokies. That $20 didn’t last long, so she gave me another $20.

Boom! My eyes widened as the money grew and grew with free spins. I had no idea what was going on but a lady next to me told me I was a very lucky girl. I couldn’t believe it! I had won $220.00 and the money I had started with wasn’t even mine!

With my money in one hand and my phone in the other, I called all of my friends to tell them how lucky I was and that I was going to have a big night out. Little did I know, this so called ‘luck’ was to consume my life for the following two years and change me into a completely different person – alone, scared, deceitful and depressed.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

​After this day, I would casually go on the pokies. A friend of mind was also quite keen so we would sit in there together and talk and press buttons. At first I was only spending $50 and sometimes I would profit, sometimes I wouldn’t, but I didn’t care as I was having fun and wasn’t harming anybody. My friend and I worked different hours so I started going by myself. This was the worst move I could have ever made.

At the time, I enjoyed being in the pokies room by myself. No distractions meant I was more focused on playing the games.

"It was like a sudden relief if I ever got free spins, kind of like a weight off my shoulders."

Some people think gamblers are greedy but this is not the case. Gambling is such a strong addiction and the urge is so strong that you literally feel as though there is no escape – so you gamble more. I was spending next to every day at the pokies, at least five times a week and spending every cent to my name. I never once stole money; however, I did borrow money from my mum to support the addiction. I never told her what I needed the money for though. The lies had started by this point. ​

Image Credit: Pixabay

​I would turn off my phone so no one could get hold of me and make up every excuse under the sun as to where I had been. Little did my friends and family know, I had just spent the last few hours in a dark, dingy room with no light, clocks or distractions.

"The pubs in South Auckland were my second home. I would rotate where I went each day so no one would know I was a gambling addict. I would literally cry myself to sleep. The lies, the deceit, the frustration – it was all too much."

​Of course my friends and family knew something was wrong. I was a changed person. I never wanted to hang out or play sport or even just have a good laugh with them. They often questioned why I had no money and again I would lie.

​The only person I told was Jim (not his real name), my boyfriend, who has been amazing. He didn’t beg me to stop, he didn’t threaten to leave and he just said I needed help. This was the start of a turning point for me, the time I finally reached out and got help and advice from the Problem Gambling Foundation.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

​Meeting my counsellor/friend Tony, my life changed so much. When we met I was a complete emotional wreck. I was often late to our meetings due to being at the pokies believe it or not, and Tony would ask me to promise him I wouldn’t go on them on my way home. I never made that promise as I knew the urge was too strong and I would break that promise.

​"Sometimes I used to think ‘how can Tony think I won’t go on them after thinking and talking about them for a whole hour?​He must be crazy to think talking about them is lessening the urge!’"

​I would also go to all lengths to go on the pokies. One day, Tony called Jim and instructed that I was going to drop my Eftpos card off to him at Uni so I couldn’t go on them on the way home. I didn’t think my boyfriend would listen, but to my frustration he did and refused to give it back to me. ​I then drove all the way from Auckland Uni to Papakura, transferred $200 into my sister’s account, took her Eftpos and told her I was going to the supermarket. Imagine her surprise and concern when I arrived home two hours later empty handed. Of course I lied again.

​Tony encouraged me to tell my friends and mum about my addictions. It was so hard. Telling my mum was the worst. I couldn’t even get the words out – but eventually I did and mum said she would help me get through it. To this day, only a few people know about the addiction – and I don’t think many people know the extent of it.

​"After six months of counselling sessions I finally made the step and banned myself from the casino and all the pubs in Auckland that have pokie machines."

​I still remember that day. I insisted we take my car as there was no way I was being seen in Tony’s Problem Gambling Foundation car. I was embarrassed having my photo taken, but I knew it was the right thing to do. At first I was anxious, because I thought how would I cope not being able to go on the machines whenever I wanted? And I thought about the pokies every single day of the following year.

​"In August this year, it will be five years since I have touched a pokie machine and I couldn’t be happier."

Those two years of my life were the hardest and darkest days and I still get sad thinking about my life back then. I have started playing sport again, see my friends all the time and have better communication with my family. Last year, I travelled to Europe for six weeks, I went to Thailand for the New Year and am moving to London in July! I am so grateful for the help and support I received from Tony, Jim, my friends and family. Pokies affect not only the victim, but also the people that matter so much in their lives. I hope that by sharing my story, you will realise that the pokies are of no benefit to the community and you vote for a sinking lid. Thank you for your time. ​​

Author

Anna (not her real name) was a client of PGF counsellor Tony Lindquist. We would like to thank her for her bravery in sharing her story in support of the Auckland sinking-lid campaign and wish her all the best!

IAGR was held in Sydney at the end of last month and our Director of Business, Graham Aitken, went along. We asked Graham to share some of the insights he gained from attending the conference. Here are the 14 things he learned at IAGR…

1. Technology identifying harmful gambling behaviour

​Paul Delfabbro (School of Psychology, Adelaide) pointed out that he 'had not found any programs that would identify a problem gambler using DSM-5' (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). He did not discuss whether this was a programming problem or an inadequacy of DSM-5 as an aid to diagnosis. He spoke about texting and messaging systems that can be tailored to an individual’s behaviour and thus be more effective in reducing harmful gambling.

2. Gambling and millennials

There were a number of speakers on this theme but there was no evidence that millennials were developing any more gambling problems than present. There was evidence that young people were gambling but nothing that compared that to earlier generations. Millennials were described as interested in fashion, food and travel, like to co-create products, use up to three different devices each day, are totally cashless, and want games to change.

Image Credit: Public Domain Pictures

3. Skill-based games

​The introduction of skill-based games has been seen as a possible boost to a failing gambling sector. Skill based games were introduced into a New Jersey casino and analysis of their performance showed that there was no difference in ‘return to player’ for skill-based or pure random number generated games. It was suggested that players competing against each other and player history could be used to increase the difficulty for players who are displaying more skill.

4. Game currency

Image Credit: Eduardo Woo Flickr

​A number of speakers referred to a requirement of younger players to have new games constantly.The fantasy sports development is viewed as something that could possibly go the same way as Pokémon Go i.e. become unfashionable and uninteresting.

5. E-Sports

​Several speakers spoke about the growth of this form of betting and the development of huge stadiums to watch and bet on tournaments for computer generated games. They also spoke of a high potential for match-fixing in this environment.

6. Player identification

One speaker thought that player ID would enable vendors of online gambling products to determine the skill of a player and alter the difficulty of the game to ensure that the player doesn't win too much.

Image Credit: Pixabay

7. Server-based vs cloud-based games

​Control of a game and updating and development of games was considered important. ​​This was because of the competing interests of regulators, their need for local control, and vendors who need ease for developments.

8. Online gambling regulation

Image Credit: Pixabay

It was suggested that some designated countries should be allowed to provide online products as a solution to regulators who were concerned about online gambling products with no jurisdiction or regulations of taxes. Some speakers suggested that online gambling is “just another channel”.

9. Regulator collaboration

​One presentation spoke about the possible success of working alongside the gambling industry to bring about a reduction in harm and sustainability of the sector. There was some scepticism amongst the attendees.

10. Match fixing

​A spokesman from the National Integrity of Sport Unit said that he couldn’t see the control of match-fixing getting any better in the near future.

11. Host responsibility

Image Credit: Pixabay

​While there was acceptance of a need for standards of best practice for gambling host responsibility there was not much actual substance offered.

12. Social casino gaming

​This is a concept where casinos are used as places where patrons can go to play computer games and casinos hope that this will lead towards a migration to gambling games. There was some evidence that this happens but there was no evidence of the level of harm this causes.

13. Virtual reality

Image Credit: Pixabay

'​An interactive demonstration of the power of virtual reality and how it takes control of an individual's mind was staggering. Volunteers using a computer and relatively inexpensive stereo-goggles, quite literally, tried to walk a plank across the conference floor and were all transfixed (even if they closed their eyes). There were thoughts about the potential to take control of minds and have players make gambling decisions that were not based on any kind of reality. This is “around the corner!”

14. In summary

The conference was very informative on developments with gambling around the world and some of the opportunities and threats of new technology. Regulators were left wondering about the future and also how they can be proactive around developments which are yet to indicate harmful gambling behaviour. The gambling world has a future of:

New markets in developing countries

New opportunities for host responsibility through technology

New players through ever changing games

More threat of criminal fixing, fraud and extortion.

​One venture capital provider (who was at the conference on an intelligence gathering mission) said that he thought the days of the bricks and mortar casino were coming to an end.

Author

Graham Aitken is the Director of Business at the Problem Gambling Foundation. ​Graham has worked in the health sector for 35 years.His major learning experience in working with the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF) is that greed is alive and well in the international gambling industry, and that lateral thinking is required to deal with the widespread problems this causes.

​This is just the second time this conference has been run, so it is still very much in its infancy. It was a fascinating few days of presentations, learning, professional development, networking and of course shopping.

#ManyWays16

The VRGF highlighted the evolution of the gambling landscape. They identified that..,

“People no longer experience gambling at a distance; the emergence of new technologies and increased levels of promotion have seen gambling become more accessible to a wider net of vulnerable groups”.

​While the conference itself was only two days, there was a day of pre-conference masterclasses beforehand which included workshops on mindfulness, working with indigenous communities, and gaming and gambling interventions.

PGF staff presents

PGF enjoy a meal together in Melbourne

Six PGF staff attended the conference contributing a total of three presentations. Leanne and Choi presented on our Corrections work highlighting their experiences while running pioneering programs in two separate prisons in New Zealand. Ifo and I presented information about outcome measures that was jointly written by Bridgitte Thornley who was in attendance. This presentation described our organisation’s journey in implementing the measures as well as the research we conducted on our outcome data.

​Andree presented on the campaign we conducted with two Auckland high schools where students put together a public service announcement on gambling as part of their NCEA media studies project.

Standout presentations

There were some standout keynotes at the conference. In particular, Professor Marc Lewis (a Canadian) from the University of Radboud, Netherlands who shared his journey from drug addiction to the discovery that addiction and gambling are a result of learning and subsequent changes to the brain… as opposed to a disease, or as a result of genetic heritability.

​Another standout keynote was Dr Bruce Bolam, (Executive Manager, Programs Group, VicHealth) who spoke on public health with regard to gambling and about our learnings from the harm reduction effected from previous tobacco campaigns.

aTwo presentations I attended that stood out to me were from Associate Professor Samantha Thomas (Deakin University) and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg (Young and Well Cooperative Research Centre, and author of Princess Bitchface). Both spoke of the need to challenge the commercial promotion tactics used by the gambling industry. The oversaturation of advertising of gambling products leads to normalising gambling behaviours in adults and in children. Both highlighted the need to challenge the discourse this oversaturation causes because it heightens the stigma to seek help.

In addition to the opportunity to network with our Trans-Tasman partners in Victoria, a few of us had the opportunity to enjoy the city. As beautiful and navigable as Melbourne is, I discovered it was a dangerous city. The shopping was so prolific; I was at serious risk of injuring my credit card. Surely this is a health and safety issue that can be addressed in preparation for the Many Ways to Help Conference 2018. ​

​Author

Laurie Siegel-Woodward is the National Operations Director for the Problem Gambling Foundation. Laurie has been with PGF since October 2008. She is a qualified counsellor with over 15 years experience.

Paula Snowden has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Problem Gambling Foundation replacing Graeme Ramsey who has headed the organisation for over eight years.

As CEO of the Quit Group Charitable Trust and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC), Paula will bring to the Foundation a wealth of experience in addictions.​She is currently General Manager of Raukawa Whanau Ora Ltd and has previously worked for the Accident Compensation Corporation and Housing New Zealand after public service in several Government departments.

Chair of the Problem Gambling Foundation Board, Richard Northey, says the Foundation is delighted to welcome Paula to the team.

“We are fortunate to have Paula join us and bring with her invaluable experience and a background that includes some significant achievements, particularly in the addictions field,” he says.“We are looking forward to having Paula on board and continuing the work to free New Zealand from gambling harm.”Paula will start her induction on 5 December and then take on the CEO responsibilities in January 2017. Graeme Ramsey will leave the Problem Gambling Foundation at the end of January 2017 to travel to Ghana for 12 months with his wife Josie to run an English charity (www.ghanameetmethere.com). ​

Paula's bio.

​Paula Snowden has wide state sector experience, including nine years at a general management level. Paula was Chief Executive of The Quit Group an appointment she took up in August 2009.

Prior to that Paula was Director of Community Relations at the Accident Compensation Corporation and a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Before ACC, Paula was General Manager in charge of a number of social housing programmes at Housing New Zealand, including social services housing development and assistance, substandard housing in rural areas and home ownership for modest income families.

She has extensive experience at the Alcohol Advisory Council where as Deputy Chief Executive she was principally responsible for ALAC's social marketing programme. Paula has had a number of policy roles including in the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Maori Development.

​Paula is a member of the Board of the Smokefree Coalition and is on the Board of Unicef New Zealand and the Unicef Children’s Foundation. Paula’s tribal affiliations are Ngapuhi.